The present invention relates to a high explosive assembly for ejecting a penetrating projectile at high velocity. More particularly, the present invention relates to a liner and jacketed high explosive configuration for projecting high velocity long rods.
A method to achieve higher long rod velocities without using liner jetting phenomena has long been sought. The term "long rod" is generic for any projectile with a long length to diameter ratio. Penetrating projectiles are often designed to be ejected upon detonation by the chemical energy of an energetic material, such as a high explosive. The "liner" refers to the material which forms the penetrator prior to detonation of the high explosive.
Methods to accelerate liners to higher velocities have been investigated since the advent of high explosive metal accelerating devices in the early 1900's. Normally, convergence effects of the liner are used to produce jetting of the liner material by means of a shaped charge. These effects produce very high velocities for a small fraction of the total liner mass. This small fraction is commonly called the shaped charge jet. A larger piece, commonly called the slug, achieves a lower velocity. The shaped charged jet which achieves a high velocity has a large penetration capability, while the large slug which follows at lower velocity generally does not.
Methods that accelerate the entire liner mass with a single explosive are commonly referred to as explosively formed penetrators. These methods achieve much lower velocities for the long rod than can be achieved from the jetting effects of a shaped charge.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a high explosive configuration for producing long rods with velocities which exceed the capability of explosively formed penetrators.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and a high explosive configuration for producing long rods with high velocities without resorting to the jetting effects of shaped charge warheads, and their attendant sensitivity to fabrication details.
These and other objects of the invention, as well as the advantages thereof, will become clear from the disclosure which follows.